


Knocking on heaven's door

by NicoleCollard



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Canon Compliant, F/M, Fluff, Post-Season/Series 07, Winterfell
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-30
Updated: 2018-04-30
Packaged: 2019-04-30 06:25:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,998
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14490798
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NicoleCollard/pseuds/NicoleCollard
Summary: Winterfell is one of the coldest places Brienne had ever stayed at in her life. Whenever she can't sleep at night, she wanders around the castle to warm herself up. But sometimes heat is where one never expected to find it.





	Knocking on heaven's door

**Author's Note:**

  * For [december13](https://archiveofourown.org/users/december13/gifts).



> A little something I hope you like. I depict here a situation I love reading when it comes to JB stories.
> 
> This fic is a gift for december13, because she always knows how to use good music to cheer up people, even without being aware of it.
> 
> Warning: I'm a non-native English writer. Enjoy!

It was cold.

Brienne had spent enough months of her life in the North to have got used to its icy bite, but truth was no southron could ever feel at home in a place such as Winterfell in the middle of winter. She had always considered herself a tough girl, but lately she was afraid the cold would succeed in defeating her.

There was no difference between day and night these days, so dark the sky was at all times, but Winterfell inhabitants still tried to take turns to respect the sleeping hours when they considered it was nighttime, since everyone needed to be fresh to help get things ready for the battles to come. Brienne found it specially difficult to fall asleep whenever she went to bed. The wind howling outside her window, the wights threatening their walls and her body trembling despite being wrapped up in infinite layers of fur didn't help at all, so Brienne often walked at night. It was equally cold in the snow-covered courtyard or atop the battlements, but at least she could keep her mind busy watching the knights play dice or the smiths forge their weapons.

That night she was wandering down the corridors when lady Sansa had found her awake and had sent her back to her chambers. Brienne had become a very important warrior in the fight against the White Walkers, and everyone respected her as their lady commander, as they had started calling her. Lady Sansa knew the Maid of Tarth needed to rest to go on being the great inspiration she was for everyone, so she had taken advantage of her high position to cut off Brienne's complaints.

The lady knight had obeyed the Stark girl reluctantly and had returned to her bed as she had been ordered. A warm fire was still sizzling in her bedroom when she arrived, but the feather mattress was as cold as a blanket of snow nonetheless. Brienne still stayed awake for some time, trying without any success to push away some unwelcome sad thoughts from her mind. She didn't know exactly when her body had stopped shivering, but she had finally relaxed after tossing and turning for a while.

She was having a relatively pleasant dream when she heard a repetitive noise that woke her up. At first she didn't know what was happening, then she realised the sound came from the corridor.

Someone was knocking softly on her thick door.

Brienne squeezed her eyes shut a couple of times to wake herself up completely and got up frowning. Her feet almost froze when they touched the stony floor. Shivering violently, the woman covered the distance between her bed and the door. Had the wights attacked again? But when Brienne finally opened the door, reality was very different.

Trembling like a leaf at the mercy of the wind, wrapped up in furs, there it was Jaime Lannister.

He had arrived at Winterfell two days ago, dirty, hungry, almost frozen... and completely alone. His natural charm, Brienne's support and Bran Stark's forgiveness had softened lady Sansa's heart and she had ended up welcoming Jaime in Winterfell in Jon Snow's behalf -while the King in the North travelled to the fallen Wall with Daenerys Targaryen and Tyrion Lannister to evaluate the damages firsthand-. Sansa had entrusted Brienne with both watching and protecting Jaime while he was in the castle, and that was why he had been shown to the chambers right next to the Maid of Tarth's.

Despite the lack of his right hand, Jaime's help would be invaluable for the North army, because he was a very experienced and capable strategist, and that was surely what Sansa had thought when she had decided to allow him to stay in her ancestral home. But right now the mighty Lion of Lannister was just a bundle of trembling limbs on Brienne's threshold.

“Ser Jaime, it's late. Are you alright?”, Brienne asked, suddenly too aware of the fact that she was only wearing her night clothes.

“Y-Yes, f-forgive me, Brienne”, he stuttered due to the cold. “It's just... t-the fire in my chambers went out. I've b-been trying to stir the flames f-for an hour, but it's too d-difficult for me with only one hand.”

And as if he wanted to support his statement with facts, Jaime lowered his eyes towards his trembling stump.

“Of course. Why didn't you send for someone who could help you with that, Ser? I'll call Podrick”, the woman offered and stepped forward into the corridor.

Jaime grabbed her arm softly with his left hand, which was colder than an ice claw, and Brienne felt a shiver run down her spine, though she didn't know whether it was due to the cold or Jaime's touch. The man shook his head still holding her arm. Brienne could tell he was a little ashamed, as if he still hadn't accepted his handicap.

“Oh, no, please, don't d-disturb him, he must be asleep by n-now. I c-came to you because I heard your steps just a l-little while ago, so I thought you m-might be still awake.”

Brienne pursed her lips. She knew it wasn't proper to invite a man into her bedroom in the middle of the night, but Jaime's lips were almost blue. It was clear he needed some heat as soon as possible. “Alright, I'll do it myself. Come in, sit by my fireplace and warm yourself up while I light the fire in your room.”

“T-Thank you, Brienne. I don't k-know what I would do without you”, Jaime said with a teasing smile on his lips before letting go of her arm.

“Don't mock me, Ser”, Brienne scolded him shaking her head.

She closed her door behind Jaime's back and headed towards his chambers while unconsciously rubbing the spot where he had touched her arm. Brienne doubted Jaime knew the effect his words and contact had on her. What she felt for him had been growing stronger for years, but she knew he would never reciprocate her feelings. She sighed and pulled herself together. There was no time for her stupid maiden's suffering in the middle of a war.

Brienne spent little less than a quarter of an hour lighting the fire. When she was completely satisfied with her job and Jaime's room got heated up a bit, she got up and rubbed her hands together to get rid of the soot. Then, after closing his door, she went back to her chambers, and she was incredibly surprised when she found Jaime sprawled face down in her pallet completely asleep, judging by his soft snores.

With a sigh, Brienne closed her eyes in annoyance and pinched the bridge of her nose. She couldn't believe it. Why her, dear Gods? Why? Why did they allow Jaime Lannister to fall asleep in her bed? Why did they hate her so much? She stepped closer to the bed, determined to wake him up, but when she was about to shake his shoulder, Brienne noticed the peaceful expression in Jaime's features and decided against it. She was fascinated by his beautiful face, his greying beard, his dark blonde locks, his long eyelashes. Jaime had a strange effect on her, as if his mere presence could melt the ice around her heart. Brienne felt so vulnerable around him, and though she was always trying to hide that annoying sensation, sometimes she found it impossible to fight the urge to touch him, to let herself get carried away.

She sat on the bed next to Jaime, careful not to wake him up. Brienne knew something awful must have happened in King's Landing for him to show up at Winterfell's gates completely alone. All she knew was that Queen Cersei had threatened to kill him for treason, and that was horrible enough given the infamous relationship Jaime had had with his sister all his life, but there had been no time to speak further about it yet. Brienne was determined not to pressure his friend into sharing with her whatever there was in his mind until he was ready. He must have suffered so much during his trip to Winterfell. Who was her to interrupt his dreams now that he had finally got to sleep? With a sudden fit of tenderness, she decided to leave him in her bed and go to his room instead.

Something impelled Brienne to bring her hand to Jaime's cheek before leaving, so she did it without thinking. When her fingertips brushed against his skin, Brienne froze right away, taken aback. She had dared to stroke his face... What craziness had possessed her?

She got up immediately, still surprised by her audacity, and was about to leave Jaime's side when a hand grabbed her wrist and held her in place. Brienne turned round with a gasp, but she calmed down when she realised Jaime was still asleep. He must have reacted out of reflex. She was glad for it, because she didn't know how she would look him in the eye after having been caught stroking his face. She'd rather die!

But, even asleep as he was, Jaime didn't let go of Brienne's arm. He pulled her down until she sat back on the bed and he kept holding her wrist as if it were the only thing that prevented him from drowning. Brienne hesitated, she didn't know what to do. Her back was starting to hurt because of the uncomfortable position she was in. Suddenly, Jaime moved, which caught Brienne off-guard, and she ended up lying down by his side. Then he threw his arms around her waist and curled up against her body before she could react. 

Brienne's heart hammered against her ribs painfully while an unusual but welcome heat warmed up her limbs. She didn't even dare to breathe for a few seconds, so shocked she was. Sharing her bed with Jaime and having him snuggled against her back was something she had never dared to dream of. And what was more, it wasn't proper! What if someone caught them like that?

She tried to relax. Truth be told, they weren't doing anything... wrong. He wasn't just any man, it was Jaime. They had seen the worst of each other in the past. What damage could be done by sleeping together once, just to share body heat in the cold night? Besides, Jaime would never try to take advantage of her. Both of them knew how hideous she looked.

Brienne sighed and used her foot to pull the furs towards her. Trying to move as little as she could to avoid waking up Jaime, she threw the blankets over their bodies to keep them warm and resigned herself to stay awake for the rest of the night, since she knew it would be impossible for her to get to sleep with Jaime's body pressed against hers. But, miraculously, after just a few minutes of being aware of the man's beard tickling her nape, Jaime's slow breathing in her ear managed to lull her to sleep.

When Jaime finally heard Brienne's light snores, he carefully raised himself on his elbow to look at the freckled side of her face, and the sight of her pure expression made him smile fondly. What an innocent, stubborn, good, amazing woman Brienne was. With his heart full of something warm he couldn't identify yet, Jaime bent down to plant a soft, lingering kiss on her temple and then he lay back down. He pulled Brienne closer and enjoyed the strange, sweet sensation that had started to spread throughout his body since his arrival at Winterfell. In less than a couple of minutes, Jaime was snoring as well, his sorrows wiped away, his fears forgotten.

Apart for the crackling fire, the only sounds that could be heard inside the four walls of Brienne's chambers that night were two synchronised breathings and two healing hearts that longed to start beating like one.

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos and comments are highly appreciated. Leave some if you feel like it. Thank you for reading!


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